WeeklySA_AdminCentral Midfielder:Nice guy both on and off the pitch.
By ALI MPHAKI
(WATCHING THE UEFA EURO ’20 CUP FINALS)
He is a practising Muslim. Not that it matters what he does on the field of play.
But when past greats like Giovanni Zola, Ces Fabregas, and fellow players sit back and start to extol your virtues, it can only mean two things – N’Golo Kante has made a mark on the world stage and he can proudly proclaim “Allah Akbar” in reverence to the Omnipotent the One who listens to your prayers!
Born in Paris to Malian parents who migrated to France from Mali in 1980, the young N’Golo like most players who’ve made it big in football did not grow up with a golden spoon in his mouth.
Tragedy struck when he had just turned 11, losing a father who was the main pillar in his life and that of his family. The death of the family patriarch no doubt ruled the Kante family offside, with his widowed mother left as the sole breadwinner and inevitably the glue that holds the family together.
At the time the Kante family were shacked in a small apartment in a remote French town of Rueil-Malmaison, Hauts-de-Seine (I bet you’ve never hear of it before) far from the glittering lights of Paris, the city of light as the French capital is known.
Death, like a thief at night, would once more when least expected come and steal from the Kante family, this time snatching the life of his elder sibling Niama, who died of a heart attack before the 2018 World Cup.
Enveloped and stultified by his enormous grief, however, the cool as a cucumber N’Gole soldiered on to play a crucial role in his country’s World Cup exploits, which i ultimately won by his country, France. Soccer commentators are quick to point out that form is temporary and class is permanent.
And what few can demur is that the soccer loving people the world over, the paying fans especially, know a good thing when they see one. It is therefore inconceivable that they could not be enchanted and enthralled by N’Gole’s talents, as seen (as of writing) by the 56 553 05 likes and followers in one of his social media accounts.
At 1.68m or 5ft 6inchs tall, which probably which probably explains his choice of car, the Mini Cooper hatch, he is an epitome of the old adage “it’s not the size of the dog but the fight in the dog”.
And while his teammates crisscross the roads in supercars like Porsches, the Audi R8s, Bentley’s and the likes, the diminutive midfielder cruises along with his Mini Cooper hatch – a far cry from the “kick scooter” he commuted to training earlier on in his career.
Legend has it that once he was involved in an accident and also late for a Chelsea meeting, he was approached by eager fans sporting their hero and still had time to take selfies with them as he waited for roadside services. Obliging each request for selfies despite his personal circumstances. If first year medicine students are taught never to panic in an emergency, N’Gole exhibits a surgeon’s steady coolness the way N’Gole caresses the ball and make those defence splitting crisp passes.
It’s almost a decade since N’Gole, or NG, as his Chelsea teammates call him, made his senior professional debut with French team Boulogne in 2012.
Just within three years of his pro career where he also featured for local club Caen he joined English outfit Leicester City in 2015 for a reported £5.6 million and was integral to their maiden Premier League victory.
The following year, he joined Chelsea for a fee worth £32 million and again won the league, making him the first outfield player to win consecutive English league titles with different clubs since Eric Cantona in 1992 and 1993.
On the local front N’Gole conjures up images of former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana midfielder John Moeti, both in stature, work rate and defensive acumen. On a personal level N’Golo mentions Claude Makelele and Lassana Diara as his insipirations.
In just less than a decade in the English Football league N’Gole has also earned the praises of Sir Alex Ferguson, Claudio Ranieri, and his latest coach Thomas Tuchel, whom he described as having “half a man more”.
“A big gift to me,” Tuchel is quoted in a London daily. His countryman Paul Pogba is on record that it was time N’Gole was awarded the Ballon d’Or.
After all, very few can deny that he is “king of the midfielders”.
Just as he is aptly named after King Ngolo Diarra of the Bamana Empire in Mali.
